A Little Bit of Sunshine
by Raving Reviewing Writer
Summary: Two broken souls meet after the death of their companions. One has lost his cause and can't bear the guilt and grief of living. The other has lost her reason for life. Can they help each other, especially when one desperately needs it?
1. Chapter 1

A Little Bit of Sunshine

Chapter 1

The streets of Paris felt different to Eponine as she traveled towards her destination. They were extremely melancholy, and the eighteen year old could only guess as to why. She never really knew what it was about the city, but she could always feel it, like it was some kind of living thing. And she supposed that it was. To her, the city hardly ever slept, and if it did, it was never long. The streets weren't always happy, but they were always full of movement and some form of excitement.

Today, this was so false that Eponine could hardly believe how often it was true. She could feel the hopelessness and sadness coming off in waves. That worried her so much that she ran from her one of her normal haunts, a street not very far from the Elephant of the Bastille, all of the way to the area of the barricade that Marius and his friends had set up.

Within seconds of seeing the thing, her heart shattered. When they had said the streets would run with blood, they weren't kidding. Eponine could hardly stomach it, and she was from the streets. Things like this were basically her element. 'Thank, God, the bodies aren't out here,' she thought, examining the bits of broken barricade. She could see why the streets were so sad today; their hopes were dashed, and bits of it were still collecting right here. Hopes, dreams, and ambitions were shattered right at Eponine's feet. A single tear left her right eye, but she continued on. She was a big girl. She could do this. A mantra repeated inside of her head giving her some kind of false strength.

Inside of the tavern, things were worse. There were bullet holes in the ceiling, and stairs were broken off. Tables and chairs were overturned with broken bits crowding the floor. One place was free of debris, but there were worse things there. A line of broken, bullet - ridden bodies laid upon the floor. A sob escaped Eponine while she looked down the row. So many dead, and all she could do was cry helplessly. The row followed as such: Gavroche, an unknown young boy, Feuilly, Prouvaire, another unknown, Joly, Bahorel, Combferre, Lesgles, two more unknown men, Courfeyrac, three more unknown men, Grantaire, Enjolras, and Marius.

Eponine could hardly breathe when she saw both Gavroche and Marius lying there at the very ends. They were her world, and she was not prepared for this. She knew there would be death at these barricades, only a complete fool would believe anything else. But she'd just thought that the two of them would make it out alive. They would come back to her; she had felt it in her bones.

Yet, here they all were. Another sob burst from her mouth while more followed. Suddenly, she had crumbled like a house made out of cards. Tears leaked quickly from her eyes while loud, woeful sounds filled the air. It was the only noise inside the whole place, and Eponine could not take such a thing. The place was to be filled, always. Having no reason not to, she crawled to Marius' body, hoping for some sign of life - a sign of carrying on. There was nothing. All she saw was the unwelcome amount of blood staining the front of him. Two bullet holes were implanted inside of his chest, a chest that she would never lie her head upon again. As she felt another sob well up inside of her, she saw something odd from the body that lie to the right of her companion.

The fearless leader, Enjolras, was still breathing, that much was certain. Eponine could see the small movements of his chest as he slowly gasped for air. She felt her eyes widen as she made sure that her brain wasn't playing tricks upon her. It did that sometimes when she'd had a little too hard of a beating or not enough to drink on the unbearable warm days of the Parisian summers. The girl pulled slightly on his body, moving it out of the line and closer to her.

"Please don't be dead. Not tonight. Please, be alive," she whispered while she put her head directly above his chest. She could feel his slight breaths stirring her hair and could see the small rise and fall of his chest. With that, she looked quickly to see if there was anyone else who could be saved, but there was no-one. A few more tears were shed as Eponine's eyes fell upon Gavroche, but there was nothing she could do. She knew it.

Moments later, she was leaving the tavern with a young man's body being toted by her side. She didn't look like she was capable of practically carrying a man's body down a street, but she was strong enough to get them to an alleyway. Fortunately, there was a discarded soldier's vest from the earlier fight which she put onto Enjolras. She also found a man upon the street who promised to help her in exchange for a sou. The waif agreed instantly. It seemed that he needed no help, so Eponine led the way to a place that she knew was safe.

The man who lived there owed her a favor and was also a physician. He was also smart enough to be discreet. Eponine still had dangerous ties from the streets. They reached the home upon the Rue Monge where she thanked the man and handed over a sou. The girl just barely made it to the right front door before she collapsed upon the front steps - Enjolras following. His dead weight had done nothing to help her, and the owner of the house found them that way less than an hour later.

* * *

Enjolras was not aware of anything that was occurring around him. He had been shot, that he was sure of, but he was quite confused of how he was still alive. More than three bullets had pierced him, yet his heart refused to stop beating. He could feel it as the soldiers moved his body from what he'd thought to be its 'final' resting place. The man heard the joyous shouts as the fight was done. A small tear escaped his eye, but no-one ever saw. It had felt like an eternity before he heard anything else - shuffling footsteps, a sob, and then someone falling to the ground. More sobs followed while the person - a girl, he thought - moved closer. Enjolras could not open his eyes to see what was transpiring, but he could feel the emotional upheaval from his place on the floor.

"Why was it you, Marius?" The voice whispered quietly. Sobbing again, and the man was becoming a tad bit aggravated. Why wouldn't the girl leave him to die in peace? He was feeling more pain now and heard a gasp from the woman. Suddenly, someone was pulling him along the floor. Something fell upon his chest, and he tried to still his breathing. It did not work.

Enjolras knew that the person was aware of his continuously beating heart. That person was now pulling him up and supporting his weight against them while trying to walk outside of the cabin. He sighed mentally and questioned once more why he was still feeling everything even though he was not capable of opening his eyes at all.

Minutes passed, or what he thought could be minutes. It was so hard to tell while he was in this state. His vest was removed and replaced with another. Then, he was not aware of anything else but pain. Enjolras was asleep until he felt himself fall upon a soft form. Nothing around him moved until after that, and he thought that he was finally dead or being left to die. There, it was just him, his thoughts, and whatever was beneath him. Not knowing what or whom that thing was slightly frightened him, but there were bigger things to worry with - bigger fish to fry. An endless amount of time passed until a masculine noise of disapproval came from somewhere near him. "You never do learn, do you, Eponine?" The voice asked while Enjolras felt someone pick his body up easily. An innumerable amount of thoughts raced through his mind while he was being carried before being set upon a hard surface, possibly a table. The pain was becoming less noticeable, as though it had been there for so long that it had come to be a constant. He supposed that it had. Then, Enjolras felt the sting of anesthetic and knew no more.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own this in any way and earn nothing but satisfaction by writing this. These characters and the events here are mostly not mine, but as a side note, I may add a few other characters since most from this world are dead.**

**I've decided to rewrite my 2 chapter that I've had posted because I feel like they were really only skimming the surface of what I've got planned for this. They really weren't up to par with what I expect from myself. I hope to have the next chapter rewritten by tomorrow, but it is doubtful of that happening. Just for an FYI, I have a habit of writing an extreme amount for about a week and then going into a bit of a lull that lasts for roughly 2 weeks. It just happens, and I really don't like when it does. ((Those do happen to be my initials down there.))**

**-AEW xx**


	2. Chapter 2

A Little Bit of Sunshine

Chapter 2

Eponine Thenardier awoke in a suspiciously soft bed, and a pair of eyes were watching her carefully. She was still so worn and hardly remembered much from the afternoon and night previously. The person accompanying her did not go unnoticed. "I am sorry for the sudden notice, M'sieur. I knew of no other place to go that was discreet, nor someone who owed me a favor that would cover such a thing. I am surprised that I am not yet on the street again. Thank you," Eponine said softly. Her voice was rough, and her throat was raw.

Evan Sabret simply nodded his head. He owed her his life, and he held no qualms of saving another's life if that was what the urchin required. "Are you aware that the young man you brought with you had no less than six bullet wounds? He also had a broken arm, which is in a cast at the moment. I am not going to ask how he came to be in such a way, but I would like you to know this fact. As soon as he is able to leave, you must go. I can not be found holding what may be a fugitive in my home. Does he mean something to you, my dear?" The man's eyes shone brightly at the prospect of the waif possibly having something to brighten her world. "You have been here for three days, in case you were wondering."

At Eponine's violent shaking of her head, he simply left the room. Three days? How could she possibly have been at the man's home for three days? She got up from the bed and took a look around the room. The room was covered in wallpaper with bright yellow flowers, something that she felt like Gavroche would have liked. He was always bringing her yellow flowers on her birthday, ever since he was seven years old. The thought made her heart clench as she began to think of the unfortunate life of her little brother.

The gamin had not had a proper life. It wasn't as though Eponine had either, but she liked to pretend that her childhood had been. He had lived on the streets for years and never had enough to eat. The only somewhat happy moment that Eponine had been there for was when the boy had tried some of Grantaire's whiskey at the Café Musain. Gav had thought it to be juice and had consumed the whole thing. Before anyone knew any better, the boy was piss-drunk with all of the so-called Amis laughing at his antics. This left Eponine and Enjolras to take care of him for the night, but she didn't think he remembered it. Hell, she didn't think he remembered her.

She shook herself from the painful memories and left the room. Earlier, it had been so comforting, but now it suffocated her. Moments from the past came and took up all of her mind. She missed her little friend so much, and she missed Marius too much for words. There was only one night where Marius had been hers and had lied her. That night had been a month ago, and Eponine had wished for more like it. Now, he was gone, and he would never know of her love for him. Marius had been drunk that night after a loud night with Grantaire and a few more of the Amis. As far as she knew, Marius did not remember it. Without knowing it, Eponine was on the floor in the hallway of Monsieur Sabret's home, sobbing. She was close to an open door but rather far from her own room. Her heart was breaking as she remembered that night. It became no better as more memories surfaced.

Marius was her world, and now he was dead. Eponine could not imagine how Enjolras could possibly feel. His friends were all dead, and he was somewhat to blame for leading them to the fight. The eighteen year old then felt terrible for thinking such a thing. It wasn't his fault that his little rebellion had failed, bringing with it the lives of schoolboys. She thought about crying again after thinking such an awful thing towards the unfortunate man.

Eponine had hardly ever been one for religion or mass, but she thought that she would be better off reconciling with herself. With that, she got up off of the wooden floor and found her room again. There, she settled down to pray. She prayed for herself, for Enjolras, for Gav, for Marius, for all of the bourgeois boys, and for the people of Paris. All in all, it did her a lot of good to do this.

* * *

A soft light fell upon Enjolras's face, and he was roused from his slumber. He wasn't aware of how long he had been sleeping. The last thing he remembered was going inside of the tavern. He never expected to be waking up somewhere that seemed so dingy. The man expected the garden of the Lord to be beautiful, possibly even a garden. Instead, it was a room with ugly wallpaper with a pattern of small purple flowers. There were small stains on the walls, and the floor was in need of a proper scrubbing.

Enjolras could not say much, for his apartment did not look any better, speaking in terms of cleanliness. Come to think of it, he had not thought that he would be in pain here. Now, his right arm was paining him severely while several spots on his abdomen and back that were aching something terrible. He did not think that he was capable of standing, to be completely honest.

The revolutionary then noticed a sound of odd wailing coming from outside of the room. It sounded like an extremely sorrowful sobbing. At that point, Enjolras no longer thought that he was dead. Suddenly, he was struck with a thought. If he was lying here, quite possibly wounded, who was fighting? The barricade had most certainly fallen, taking his friends with it. The physical pain that he had been feeling earlier was nothing compared to this. All of his friends were gone. He knew it; he'd seen them fall - one by one.

Enjolras could not handle this. He was not meant for large amounts of emotional upheaval, anything like this broke him. There were tears streaming down his face now, and he found that he didn't give a damn about them. He had read once that in Ancient Rome it was frowned upon to not shed tears when one's comrades had fallen. Right now, he couldn't imagine not crying after his friends' untimely deaths.

How could anyone do this? How could people growing old watch as their friends slowly succumbed to death? Enjolras knew he certainly could not live through this. In fact, he wished that he was dead. At least then he would be with all of his friends. Who had even saved him? There wasn't anyone in Paris who possibly cared for him, beyond his friends. They were all dead; he needed no more reminders of that. Enjolras had no clue.

All he knew was that his dream for revolution had failed, and he needed so much more information. While in his reverie, he hadn't noticed the stopped sobbing, but he did now. Obviously, this person knew something, and they were the only obvious person to go to for information. The only problem was that he did not think that he was capable of getting up. A small noise of disapproval startled the man.

* * *

When Eponine was finished with her praying, she decided to find Monsieur Enjolras. Surprisingly, his room was the room that she had been near during her crying spell. When she walked towards the doorway, she immediately noticed his puffy eyes and desolate expression. It did not surprise her in the least. She also saw that he was trying to get out of bed. Eponine was no physician, but she knew better than to let him do this. She made a small noise and walked inside of the room.

It really was an ugly room, but she did not observe her surroundings any longer. "Please, M'sieur, do not injure yourself any further," Eponine gently pushed him backwards into his pillows and moved his golden curls from his face. She knew he saw it as an invasion of his personal space, but she thought almost nothing of it. "I am sure you are wondering who I am, where you are, and why you are here. I can provide you with those answers and the answers to the many other question I am sure you have. But I will only tell you these things if you will believe me and not lash out at me. Are we clear, M'sieur Enjolras?" She asked with a slight tone of authority in her voice.

At his nod, she began again, "My name is Eponine. My surname does not matter. You and I are being house at one of my acquaintance's homes. He is very discreet, and he owes me his life. We have been here for three days.

The events leading up to this are not very clear to me. I wished to be at the barricade upon that night, but I was unable to be there. When I arrived, the barricade was fallen. I apologize, M'sieur." Eponine took a moment to compose herself.

"It is fine, Eponine. All I ask is that you stop calling me Monsieur. It makes me feel terribly old, and honestly, I do not care for such pleasantries now," Enjolras interrupted the silence. He looked closely at the gamine and said no more.

"As I was saying, there were pieces of the barricades everywhere; there was so much blood on that street." Eponine took a deep breath and continued, "The tavern was worse. The tables and chairs were all completely broken; there were bullet holes in the ceiling. The stairs were broken off, and the only place that was free of the mess was the line where t-the bodies were lying!" She could not go on for the time being and cried in earnest. Her tears were cascading down her face, like that beautiful waterfall in America - Niafra or something similar?

Minutes passed before she was finished. "I am sorry, Enjolras. It is such a hard thing for me to tell you. I will try to tell you the rest," she said softly. With that, she began once more, hoping she would finish this time. "The bodies were in a straight line, and there were so many. Gav- Gavroche was the first, and it just went on: a young boy that I did not know, Feuilly, Prouvaire, another unknown man, Joly, Bahorel, Combferre, Lesgles, two more unknown men, Courfeyrac, three more unknown men, Grantaire, you, and then M'sieur Marius." Her voice shook as she named the schoolboys from the barricade.

"I went to see if M-Marius was still alive, but he wasn't. I had originally gone there to see if I could help anyone, save anyone. Marius was dead, and I was crying. I-I noticed that you were still breathing, and I decided that since I couldn't save Marius or Gavroche, I would help you. I did check to see if there was anyone else still living, but there wasn't anyone. They were all dead." More tears were falling from her eyes while she tried to stop them.

"I carried you into the street and took your vest off of you. I switched it with a soldier's vest. A man helped me carry you to this street for a sou. Carried you the rest of the way, I did. As soon as we were here, I collapsed. I woke up here. Again, I am sorry, M'sieur Enjolras." Eponine wiped her face again and looked expectantly at the man before her.

* * *

Enjolras decided that he really needed a drink.

* * *

**Do I really have to keep putting up a disclaimer or is it alright to only have one for the first chapter? Oh, well. This is the second chapter. It's such a filler chapter to be completely honest. AND the part where Eponine is thinking of Gavroche getting drunk? I think I'll be making that into a little oneshot later. It was a really cute idea that I had, and I just liked it.**


	3. Chapter 3

A Little Bit of Sunshine

Chapter 3

Eponine walked into Enjolras' room, trying to keep her eyes open. Her eyes were droopy, and he immediately noticed. Surprisingly, he chose to say nothing. "Monsieur Sabret is leaving for the next day and night, so I will be keeping you in somewhat good care. He is trying to secure supplies for when we leave. There is a rather large price on your head, you know," she said softly, sitting in the chair closest to his bedside. He saw her hold back a yawn and wanted to ask her to go back to bed, but Enjolras refrained. Who knew how she would react to that?

"And what am I going to do about it? Your _acquaintance_ is not letting me leave this bed. Trust me, Eponine, I would love to be milling about, rallying the citizens to fight. Hell, even if I was up and moving, I don't think I would be. In all honesty, I would rather be dead than be stuck in this bed. I would rather that, I think," Enjolras had meant for most of his ramblings to stay inside of his mind, but they had slipped out. He took a deep breath when he saw Eponine beginning to turn a bright shade of red.

She was fuming, her eyes squinting and alight with a fire. He was almost surprised by how quickly her attitude and posture had changed. Her hands were held on her hips, and her onslaught of words was coming quickly. "How dare you to say such an awful thing! I cannot believe you. Do you know the trouble I went through to see if at least someone had survived on that bloody barricade? Are you aware of the struggle I went through getting your arse out of that place with the two of us alive?

Do you know how big of an utter cockroach you are? You aren't the only one who lost someone on that barricade! I lost a brother and a best friend. I know that you lost all of your's; how could I forget? And I swear if I could switch Gavroche or Marius for you, I would. It's awful of me, but I would. I do not think that your friends and my little brother died for you to mope about wishing you were there too. You know, I thought that you were smart, but I guess not. Damn it, Enjolras! You - you." With that, Eponine could not continue, and she swiftly sat back in her chair and began to cry.

Enjolras was at a loss. He wasn't good at dealing with emotions, nor was he fantastic when dealing with a woman's emotions. "Eponine, I am sorry for being so senseless and for not thinking of your emotions. Please stop crying. I can apologize better when you're not crying so much, and I don't really know how to apologize to you. I am sorry, but please don't cry anymore. I don't like it," he told her. His voice was very quiet when he finished, and if he were able, he would have reached out to her and patted her hand. That was as close as he was getting with anyone. He had never embraced his friends, ever. The closest he had ever been with any of them was when he and Grantaire were shot. The drunk had ended up covering most of Enjolras' body.

Now that he thought of it, 'R' might be the reason why his heart still beat today. Then, Enjolras wanted to cry right along with Eponine. "I really am sorry for being so insensitive. I don't always think of others' well being when I do things." His voice broke, and a hard ball formed in his throat.

The gamine was looking at him now, a pitying look on her face. "You are so, so incredibly stupid. How am I going to let you go out there all by yourself? You'll last a day or two at the most. Boys like you have no idea about running from the law. Damn it! I need a nap. I can't deal with this right now. You'll have to be alright without me for about two hours," she insisted. Without so much as a goodbye, she'd fled, leaving Enjolras with quite a few questions.

Eponine was so embarrassed. She couldn't believe that she had broken down, in front of Enjolras, again. And she had yelled at him before that. _'You're such an awful person. Told him that you wished it were Gav or Marius, made him almost cry. Then, you stormed out and made it all about you. Pathetic.'_ The last part in that wasn't Eponine's own voice but, rather, her mother's.

It was no surprise that Eponine and her siblings were abused, both physically and verbally. Hell, she'd even been forced into prostitution once last year. Monsieur Thenardier was always the one behind the beating of the children, but Madame was the one that took away their hope and confidence. It was not as though her children had much anyways. They were, after all, the scum of the street - the dirt beneath everyone else's feet.

No-one knew how much Eponine wished and hoped that, one day, she would be able to walk down the street and have no condescending glares shot her way. To have nobody walk over her like she was a dog on the street would have been wonderful. That was the reason why she had latched onto Marius Pontmercy.

The bourgeois had not looked at her as though there were about two and a half social classes between them. Never mind that Marius was cut off. He was still a part of that high up place, and Eponine hoped that he would get her somewhere. Now that he was gone, she didn't think she'd ever lose the shame that came with being at such a low place.

She tried to shake the traitorous thoughts from her mind. The girl didn't want to start crying again. With a loud sigh, she laid down upon her bed and went to sleep, and hell, did she need it.

Enjolras waited and waited and waited and waited. Waiting was really all his life consisted of at the moment. He waited for Eponine to come back, waited for his wounds to heal, waited for his arm to heal, waited for death.

According to the small clock in the corner, she'd been gone for two and a half hours. He would never admit it, but he was slightly worried about how Eponine was coping with everything. Enjolras was not stupid, well not _that_ stupid. Even he could see that Marius had been the light of her life. In the earlier days, at the Musain, he had seen her waiting for her bourgeois companion.

After the arrival of Pontmercy, she looked like a different girl. There was a sparkle in her eyes that he knew hadn't been there before. She had a fire in her, anyone could see that. Yet, it seemed like it was only Enjolras who could see it slowly going out with each passing day - like putting something over a candle. Slowly getting smaller until it was hardly there at all and then gone.

Enjolras decided to try to reach the book that was sitting on his bedside table, just out of his reach. Honestly, he would probably have to wait until Eponine came back before he could even touch the damned thing.

Eponine sat up quickly, her breathing hitched. Her dream was still fresh in her mind, and her heart was beating faster than any rabbit's. The dead bodies of the Amis were still there every time she chose to close her eyes. The worst part was that Enjolras had been there as well, and she was alone - so alone. Without any hesitation, she jumped up and almost ran to his room.

The girl couldn't handle that feeling of being so alone. In all honesty, she'd never really been alone in her life. When life had been good, her parents were there. Azelma was there when it began to decline. Gav or Marius were there when she was on the street. Now, it was just her and Enjolras. Her parents would never let her back inside their home, not after what had happened, and 'Zelma would never leave. Eponine knew it just as well as her sister did.

She knocked softly on the door and waited for the replied admittance. It came, and the waif walked inside. "M'sieur, Enjolras, I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I am sure you understand how trying these times are, and I don't think I have properly dealt with anything that has happened.

I truly am sorry for being so awful to you, and I do realize that this is not your fault. Although, I do hope that you come to terms with this yourself. Do you need anything, M'sieur?" She inquired.

Enjolras sighed inside of his head. "If you wouldn't mind handing me that book, I would appreciate it a lot. You really don't have to call me Monsieur. I am not fond of it. Can you read, Eponine?" The question surprised them both, but he was beginning to realize that he wasn't quite able of holding a book or turning the pages with his dominant hand and arm out of commision. She nodded slowly, and he smirked slightly. "Would you please read it to me? I can't exactly do much at the moment."

Eponine took her seat, in the same chair she had been in earlier, and opened it to the first page. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame? My mother used to tell me a much milder version of this when I was younger." Her smile was quite small, and she began to read.

"Three hundred and forty–eight years, six months, and nineteen days ago to–day, the Parisians awoke to the sound of all the bells in the triple circuit of the city, the university, and the town ringing a full peal..."

**This is probably the worst chapter that I have written. NOTHING HAPPENS, but it had to be done. I hope to have the next chapter up by Sunday. ((March 30)) I might be able to get that done. A warning: I have a habit of writing a ton for a few days, then not writing at all. It happens…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A Little Bit of Sunshine**

**Chapter 4**

Eponine had spent the day alone with her friend, if she could even call him that. It had passed quickly, with Eponine taking care of him and reading. They had gotten through "Book First" of The Hunchback of Notre Dam, and the girl's mouth felt like she'd stuffed it with cotton. Now, night was falling fast, and an air of awkwardness had set in. Really, all Eponine wanted to do was sleep. Yet, she knew that the chances of her actually sleeping were slim, but exhaustion was taking over at the moment.

Enjolras could _feel _just how tired she was; it rolled off of her in waves. Her eyes drooped, she was slouched in her chair, and she was moments away from falling asleep. "Eponine, if you are tired, you can go to bed. I'll be fine for the rest of the night," he persuaded. The revolutionary might not have known how to deal with the troubles of the heart and soul, but he knew more than enough on how to keep a body well.

It was not as though he would get a wink of sleep either. Throughout the past few nights, it had been him and his thoughts, and that was how the nights passed. He was quite surprised when Eponine shook her head at him. "Wouldn't be able to sleep even if I did leave. My brain won't stop working, and when I finally get to sleep, my dreams aren't pleasant. Don't really want to move either. I've finally gotten comfortable," she breathed. Her eyes closed and didn't open again for half a minute. With enough help, she'd be asleep without a fuss.

"Can I tell you a story? I think it might help you. I told it to Gavroche one night at the Musain. It was raining so hard that night, and none of us wanted to leave in that. Plus, if we left, he would have left, too. Poor thing would have caught his death out there, and nobody wanted to be held accountable for that at all. We wouldn't have been able to bear it. He was just like a brother to so many of them. Anyways, he really enjoyed it, and I thought you might, too. Can I tell it to you?" At her nod, he began his tale. He had written it once for one of his classes in his first year of higher education.

"Here begins the story of a frozen boy who possessed a heart as warm as the sun. His name, Frost…" Enjolras spun his little tale while she listened. It wasn't ten minutes before he stopped himself and looked over at the sleeping nineteen year old. A smirk spread across his face, and the revolutionary was quite smug. This feeling did not last long, though.

As the night grew older, more thoughts plagued him. Regret and remorse filled the air, and the man could not see how Eponine was not awake by now. He needed someone to listen to his ramblings, someone to help bear the weight upon his chest. The weight of living was becoming too much. All he could see were dead faces and empty stares. There was nothing but hopelessness. All was lost, and nothing remained. His breathing was so much quicker now, while his heart hammered.

Tears were falling from his eyes, and Enjolras could not catch his breath. The room became blurred, but he wasn't sure if it was because of his tears or something else. He was trying so hard to keep himself under control; it was not working. "E-Eponine. Ple-please wa-ke up. I - I need he-help," his voice was breaking off, and the words were slurred.

He did not know when, but suddenly, there were arms enveloping him. The worst part was that Enjolras could not tell if the feelings were becoming better or worse. It was killing him, and he could not control himself. Minutes passed, or maybe it was hours. It was so hard to tell when the only thing that he knew would keep him alive was the hardest thing in the world to do. It was such a mundane thing, but he could hardly do it. Then, he could breathe again. His heart did not feel like it would burst from his chest.

Eponine was smoothing his hair from his face, while small whispered words of comfort came from her mouth. "You're alright. I'm fine. We are okay. Just breathe, Enjolras. That's all. Breathe," she said softly.

The blonde had her to help him sit up and began crying in earnest. This was so much different than before. Anytime before those few days, he would never have cried. He sobbed and felt like screaming, letting go of so much. "I just don't know why anything happened to them. They were all good people, good men. Hell, some of them were little more than boys.

All we - all I wanted was to make a change in this god-forsaken world. S-some of them just followed me blindly. They didn't care if I was leading them to die. I didn't care if I was leading us to death. None of them said their goodbyes. I feel so awful. I can't even die properly. Even the captain goes down with his ship, and I deserted them! They are dead, and I could have prevented over half of them if I would have thought for a moment. God, what have I done?" Enjolras cried. He did not know that Eponine was still sitting right beside him. Then, she grabbed his right hand, pulling his face toward her.

"Let me spell it out for you. It. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Everyone is capable of making their own decisions, and your friends made their own. Even I have made my own. When you are well enough for travel and I have things prepared, we will leave together. We may go to the countryside, or we may leave the country. I know how to go about these types of things. Either way, you are leaving Paris, and we won't be back for a while. Try to get some sleep, Enjolras. You look like hell." She moved back to her chair, dropping his hand in the process. "I will be right here."

* * *

The sun dawned the next morning, bringing Evan Sabret with it. The physician walked into his patient's room and smiled to find the girl there with him. They were both sound asleep, Eponine with her head leaning against the very edge of the bed. It was a truly perfect moment. The man quickly left the room before either of them woke up. The sleep was, definitely, needed.

* * *

Enjolras woke up slowly. The sunlight that filled the room shone directly into his eyes. There was soft breathing coming from beside him, and he was relieved to see Eponine still sleeping. The worry lines that were so prominent in her face were now smoothed, and she looked her age, not any older.

Slowly, she started to stir awake, and he looked away quickly. There wasn't any reason for an awkward interactions between the two of them. Eponine looked around and appeared to be confused before she settled for a moment. She didn't speak as she looked down at her lap. "I think Sabret is back," she whispered. He hadn't any idea why she was being so quiet.

Then, she leapt from the chair, her face alight. She looked like a thought had just struck her, and she walked very quickly out of his room. As she went through the door, she looked over her shoulder and loudly exclaimed, "I'll be back later!"

The revolutionary shook his head and pushed deeper into his pillows. _'She's such an odd girl,' _he thought.

* * *

**I'm extremely sorry about the delay. I've had a lot to do this past week. I will try to post something later this week, but I'm not sure if I will be able to. This week is when I'll be having week long standardized testing. I'll try to post it on Thursday if I do get something done. I'm just not sure if I will be able to. Those kind of tests wear me out, and I have a feeling that most of my week will be spent sleeping. It has also been very hard to finish that last little bit. It's still missing something, but I am writing this A/N before I've completed it… so yeah. **

**That last part is completely awful, but I've got something big-ish planned for the next chapter. I mean, it's not going to be straight out, but yeah. Jeez, I'm awkward even in my A/N. **

**- AEW**


	5. Chapter 5

**A Little Bit of Sunshine**

**Chapter 5**

Eponine could not believe it. How had she not noticed such a routine part of her life? If she hadn't already believed that she was extremely stupid, she sure as hell would be believing it now. Who didn't notice something like that? A stupid girl, that's who.

The girl was already burning with embarrassment and anger at herself. Honestly, how utterly stupid could she be? It was such a selfish, awful thing to hope that she was wrong, but if she was right, she would never be able to handle such a thing. God, she was stupid. Being out on the street had taught her to be observant, but she wasn't doing so now. Now, her stupidity could just get herself and Enjolras killed. It would be so much harder to leave now, but her mind was already formulating a plan to help her out of this mess she was in.

"Sabret! Where are you? I'd like a word please!" She exclaimed, walking down the stairs at a quick pace. "I know you're here, you little - " she mumbled before she almost ran into the man as he left his office. "Oh, hello, Monsieur. Is your nurse in today? I'd like to speak to her about something." Eponine could practically feel his eyes on her, and she was almost worried that he _knew. _

"Mathilde is here today, and she is able to speak with you now. Is there something troubling you, my dear? Anything I could help you with?" The man asked slowly. The girl before was a true mystery.

Eponine took a deep breath. She'd been nervously wringing her hands for the past five minutes. "That won't be necessary. Just talking to Mathilde will be fine. If you would please direct me to her, I will be out of your hair. Thank you, M'sieur."

Sabret pointed her to the correct room and watched her walk there. He could see she had hesitated before opening the door and entering.

* * *

It had been two hours since Eponine had left his room, and thirty of them had passed since she'd ran past crying in earnest. Enjolras had sat in thought for a moment before deciding to go after her. She didn't need to be alone when she was like that; he knew that for a fact.

The blond man had been surprised that he was able to leave his bed, but he took small steps towards the door. His legs hardly supported his weight, and he used various things as a crutch. The door was just two steps from where he was leaning against Eponine's chair. Only two steps away, he knew he couldn't' make it, but what else could he do? Enjolras could not get back into bed and pretend that nothing happened.

Slowly, he edged forwards, trying to get farther than he knew he would go. One step all on his own was all it would take to be at the door. He could skirt along the walls the rest of the way. Taking a deep breath, the man stepped forward and grabbed the small door facing. He almost lost his balance but quickly righted himself. A large breath of relief escaped his lips, but there was no close ending to his struggle.

The hallway was long, and Eponine's room was at least twenty feet away. Enjolras sighed and began taking the smallest of steps.

* * *

Eponine's thoughts would not stop. _'How could you have been so stupid? Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You won't last long like this, and Enjolras will want to be by himself when he hears about this.' _She began to panic, and her breath began quickening. _'You'll be on your own again on the streets. They'll eat you alive out there, and you will never be able to leave. Pathetic, how low you have sunk.' _The voice of Vivienne Thenardier whispered to her, just like it would every night since Eponine was twelve.

That was when her mother had stopped caring. Their wonderful facade had come crashing down, and there wasn't any other option but to run away. And that was what they did, like dogs with their tails between their legs. Her family ran to Bordeaux first, then to Toulouse, and next to Lyon. After three years, they had ended in Paris, with fake identities and police shadowing them. Honestly, she could hardly remember her real last name. Sometimes, they picked Thenardier back up like it had never been gone, but it had never been true.

As she tried to calm down, she heard a large thump. It was a strange noise to hear outside of her family's small apartment. It sounded like the noise that always accompanied a sharp slap from her father. Those would always bring her or 'Zelma crashing to the floor, and then, it made sense. "How stupid is he?" She mumbled, getting up from her bed and opening the wooden door.

Eponine looked out into the hallway and was not surprised by what she saw. Enjolras was sprawled across the floor, looking rather sick. If what she saw was correct, then he'd hobbled from his room to the little spot in the hallway where he sat.

"A little bit of assistance would be greatly appreciated," the man said, as his eyes fluttered closed, and his loud breathing became quieter. She sighed and thought carefully. It was, possibly, ten steps to her bed from where she stood, and the girl knew she could carry him. The only thing was that she worried what would happen afterwards.

Was Enjolras hurt badly? Or had he simply fainted from exhaustion? Did she need Sabret, or could she help him on her own? She certainly knew how to handle injuries, but she didn't know a thing on how to deal with a person and how they reacted. All of her experiences with her father surely showed that.

Ten minutes later, Enjolras was situated in Eponine's bed while she sat beside him. "You are such a dumb ass," she said softly. While waiting for him to wake up, the girl made up her mind about what they would do when they left Sabret's home. He was hospitable, but the pair could not stay there forever, especially with this new development.

She could get new papers for them, and from there, the two could decide where they were going. Obviously, they would have to leave France, but it would be difficult to get Enjolras to agree. One of her biggest problems was finding the money to have anything accomplished, but there were always ways of around it. Really, her only hope was the bourgeois boy lying next to her.

The only decision left was which bombshell to drop upon the man first. One would do absolutely no good and would only have to be told later. The other would be one of the only things keeping them alive. Yes, the latter would be what she told him today.

LINE BREAK

An hour had gone by, and Enjolras was still unconscious, but Eponine supposed that that was alright. The blond revolutionary had barely been sleeping and was pushing himself down a long, hard road. The girl beside him could see the signs there, for she had also been there too many times for her life to be so short. The pair of them had experienced too much to have only been twenty two and eighteen, respectively.

Though, this could have been seen as a good thing. The waif was equipped with an abundance of knowledge of the street, while the bourgeois knew the ins and outs of the laws of France like the back of his hand. As Eponine tried to comfort herself, she slowly became aware of her own exhaustion. Without her even knowing, she fell asleep beside Enjolras.

* * *

A soft ringing could be heard in his ears while his eyes opened to a dim room. It was not a room that he had been inside of before, but his only guess was that it was Eponine's. The ringing was coming from an old grandfather clock, sitting in the corner. The next thing that he noticed was a very warm body next to him.

It was odd, but the next thing he knew, he was back to that damned day. Grantaire's body was almost covering his own, yet there was no more fire there. The cynical man no longer breathed to put life into all of his works. There was only one difference, though.

While R's body had become cold as time had passed, this one did not. It was warm and provided heat like a furnace. It was such a stark contrast between himself, for he was always cold - just like a piece of marble.

Then, Enjolras could see who was beside him. Earlier, his mind had been so clouded that he had almost forgotten about the unfamiliar room. Now he could see that Eponine lay asleep beside him. The breath of relief that came from him was almost embarrassing.

While his eyes stayed on her face for a moment, he saw small tears coming from her eyes and that her face was not relaxed, as it normally was when she slept. It wasn't as though he knew about her sleeping habits, but he had noticed what she looked like when she fell asleep after his little story. A small whimper burst forward from her lips, and it almost broke his heart.

The man moved his hand forward, almost touching her face, but he stopped. He was not aware of how she would react to someone touching her, but surely that was better than staying in the horrific dream he knew she was living inside of. "Shhh, it's alright. Eponine, wake up please. Everything is alright." He told her. His fingers made their way to her hair and stroked through it in a gesture he hoped was comforting. The entire situation was making him uncomfortable, but if that were him, he would want someone to do the same thing.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and numerous sobs escaped her trembling mouth. Without a word, Eponine practically threw herself at the revolutionary. The cries shook her small body while she burrowed her face into his chest. "Please don't leave. Don't leave me here alone," she bawled. "That's what always happens. I always end up alone, on my own. I don't want to be that way anymore."

Enjolras just held her and tried to tell her that he wouldn't ever. He knew how it felt to be left behind, to be alone. Rubbing small circles on her back and his fingers through her hair, he began to hum softly. That humming soon turned to soft singing.

"_Of all the money that e'er I had_

_I've spent it in good company_

_And all the harm that e'er I've done_

_Alas it was to none but me_

_And all I've done for want of wit_

_To memory now I can't recall_

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_Good night and joy be with you all_

_Of all the comrades that e'er I had_

_They are sorry for my going away_

_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had_

_They would wish me one more day to stay_

_But since it falls unto my lot_

_That I should rise and you should not_

_I'll gently rise and I'll softly call_

_Good night and joy be with you all"_

The Irish drinking song was one that he had heard sung in the less classy bars, but it was one of his favorites, none the less. The girl's tears soon turned to sniffles, and he could practically feel the embarrassment rolling off of her. "There's nothing wrong with being sad and being reminded of it often. It would happen to everyone if they ever were to see what we did. I would like to offer my apologies. I wish you hadn't have seen it." He spoke softly.

Eponine moved away from him, trying to clean up her face a bit. She took a few steadying breaths before looking down at his face. "I-I think that I needed to. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, and I would have done anything to find out what had really happened. Now, I don't even think I want to know. Now, I know what I know," the gamine explained.

"While you were out of it, I was thinking about when we have to leave. How would you feel about getting married?" She asked in an innocent voice.

* * *

**So that is literally what I think is one of my best chapters… I love it. I know it's been a while since I've posted, I am so sorry. I am so close to being through with the school year, and during the summer, I can most definitely get so much accomplished. It'll be great. Anyways, I don't have much happening, so I may be able to have another chapter anytime as close as next week. Please don't hold me to that though. -AEW**


End file.
